Senior police officers fired

AT least 45 senior police officers who served under former Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri were on Wednesday retired from service in the new dispensation to transform Zimbabwe Republic Police from force to service.

Josephine Shambare

Charity Charamba

The list features prominent figures in former President Mugabe’s administration who include Deputy Commissioner Generals Levy Sibanda (Operations), Innocent Matibiri (Human Resources) and Josphine Shambare (Crime) while Olga Bungu (State House), Grace Nomsa Ndebele (Training and Human Resources Development) and Mekia Tanyanyiwa (Operations) completes the list of commissioners who were shown the exit.

In one of the letters to Commissioner Ndebele, Acting Commissioner General Godwine Matanga wrote that the commissioner was being retired from the Zimbabwe Republic Police in terms of Section 22 subsection (3) of the Police Act

Section 22 subsection (3) of the Police Act provides that: “A Regular Force member shall, whatever the length of his pensionable service, retire from the Regular Force at midnight on the fiftieth anniversary of his birthday: Provided that, if the Commissioner considers that it is desirable in the public interest and that the member is medically fit to be retained in the Regular Force, he may direct that such member be permitted to continue to serve in the Regular Force for further periods of twelve months at a time until midnight of the fifty-fifth anniversary of his birthday.”

Wrote Acting Comm Gen Matanga: “This letter serves to advise you of your retirement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police in terms of Section 22 subsection (3) of the Police Act, Chapter 11:10 effective from midnight on the 19th of January 2018.

“You will be paid three months’ salary in lieu of three months’ notice of termination of service.

“The Acting Commissioner General of Police avails himself this opportunity to sincerely thank you for having diligently served the organisation and the people of Zimbabwe.”